I have to preface this review saying we only got drinks. Service was great. Our server was helpful and friendly. The drink menu was somewhat limited. The drinks were just okay. If you're planning on going just for drinks it's not a bad stop. read more

Just checked into the Gin Hotel to find that the Juniper Lounge closed up shop. We were looking forward to eating on the veranda overlooking Main Street. Very disappointed read more

I've eaten here on more than one occasion over the years and the food and service has always greatly varied. Their current most notable problem is mismanagement. When it's abundantly clear your staff knows more about the business than your managers something is wrong, especially when they stay open during times they should be closed (no working restrooms) and have employees come to work very sick during the coronavirus pandemic!! They do not take their business or the health and safety or their employees or community seriously. read more

As far as food goes, I never see many options... However, I love going here to have drinks on their upper deck setting. There's a variety of dining seating and lounge seating looking above from downtown Lexington. It's beautiful. And so charming. I loved the drinks too. They were quite expensive but if I were reviewing this place solely on getting drinks and the atmosphere, I would give it 5/5 stars! read more

Juniper Lounge - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Virginia

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I would like to edit my previous positive review. I was at Rocca tonight, Wednesday November 7th, and I mentioned on two separate occasions that I have a dairy allergy and that my food would need to be dairy free. The waitress assured me my food was safe, even midway through my meal when I double checked. By the time I finished eating, the waitress approached me to inform me that my meal was in fact cooked in butter and oil, and that she hoped this was ok. There was obviously a massive miscommunication between the chef and the waitress, and I get to suffer from an allergic reaction tonight because of it. I was told the best the manager could offer me was 20% off my meal, and I was forced to pay for the food that I had stated I was allergic to multiple times. I will not be returning to Rocca, nor recommending it to any of my friends or family when they are in town. read more

Very nice staff and loved the Gnocchi but they were out of pork chops so I got spare ribs. I figured a place like this would cook them right. My husband ended up tearing the meat off with his teeth and chewing forever. I would have asked for a different meal had server came back quickly but I was super hungry so I ate some and handed them to hubby and picked off his plate)which he got the gnocchi. read more

We ate here on Saturday, October 13. Everyone at the table was in agreement that the food and service was absolutely terrible. The Gnocchi with Sausage tasted as if it could have come from a can. The braised short rib was raw inside and very tough on the outside. The appetizers, from the Calamari to the Flatbreads were really disappointing. We were part of a large and very hungry table. A few people did not eat their entrees and walked away hungry. Avoid this place. read more

We enjoyed great happy hour specials at Rocca. Nice selection of DOCG wines, and our favorite DB IPA on tap. Our server was very friendly. I really enjoyed the cheese plate- a taste of all elements together had a great flavor. I found it to me more hearty than other Main Street cheese plates and indicative of an Italian pairing. The calamari flavor reminded us of hot wings... Our only surprise on the bill was the $5- split plate fee. It's not on the menu and we were testing items so only ordered one pasta... This is a nice addition to Main Street and the Lexington restaurant scene. I recommend hitting their happy hour drink and appie options. read more

Located on Main Street in Lexington, VA this is the kind of place I wish existed when I was a cadet at VMI. Shockingly good Italian-style food in a modern setting. Prices were very reasonable and it was a great addition to the Robert E. Lee Hotel. The happy hour offerings were quite good and the bar area looks like a great place to visit even if you are not a guest at the hotel. read more

This place makes employees work while exhibiting flu-like symptoms (during the coronavirus pandemic, I might add) and then suspends them (AFTER they work their entire shift) for complaining about it. read more

The only reason this gets a second star is due to its wonderful ambiance. I came here with my partner. We started with the calamari and requested a side of marinara. The calamari was over-battered, over-fried, and was horribly cold. I had the seafood pasta. It was a pesto sauce (something not mentioned in the description). First off, nobody puts pesto with mussels or clams. Secondly, trying to get past the pesto, I went in for the shellfish. It was not cleaned and I received a wonderful mouthful of sand and dirt. My partner had the chicken parm (as they were out of rabbit and that was what we hoped to both order) and the chicken parm was not edible. The chicken was not paired with a sauce besides a caramelized onion of some sort. Last but not least- everything came with arugula as the side. Great thought, but the arugula was undressed, unseasoned, and inedible. We will not be returning to this restaurant. read more

This restaurant will be my go to place from here on out. I lived in Italy for many years and I have never had a better, authentic Italian meal anywhere in Italy than I had today. I told the wait staff that I was heading back to Italy for a visit soon but I should have saved the airfare and just booked a room in the hotel and eaten at Rocca for a week. It offers everything I expect and find when I travel back to the old country! Everything, and I mean everything, is amazingly fresh, as local as possible. No preservatives, nothing prepackaged. Just like I experienced every day living in Italy. Beautiful presentation and explosion of flavor in every bite! The delicate beet salad included...was it... finocchio...? (fennel)? And I was too busy sopping up the rest of the freshly prepared dressing with the simple fresh homemade bread to stop and ask. I forgot to question the chef about it and didn't even take time to read the ingredients in the menu description, so sure was I that everything would be indescribably scrumptious. I took the recommendations offered and plunged in! And I wasn't wrong in doing so. Truly one of the best meals I have had since coming to the States. The gnocchi with sausage ragu offered up light and fluffy pillows of pasta and a delicate, beautifully seasoned fresh pork ragu crafted from gorgeous tender free range pigs who had happily feasted on acorns and nutritious forage in a local forest and tenderly raised by a farmer whose philosophy has no connection to those massive feedlot systems, all to our benefit! No nitrates or nitrites or overdosing on spices to mask a poor quality product! A very healthy meal from field to table. And on top of it all very reasonable prices for the high quality of service, ingredients and presentation. Truly the chef, Michael Pascarella deserves recognition for his recipes and the care with which he presents them. I only hope Lexington understands that they have a gem in their little town and that they will continue to support his farm to table artistry. He needs to stay here forever as far as I'm concerned. read more

Delicious food! Everything was very well prepared, cooked to perfection, and looked beautiful on the plate. The only issue was the very slow service. At one point, we thought he may have forgotten about us! He was nice, just not very efficient. read more

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The staff and bartenders were very accommodating and my girlfriend and I had a good dinner. The atmosphere could be better, but it's not a big issue and shouldn't deter anyone. The prices are reasonable. The food was average. We had the seafood pasta and the chicken caccitore. read more

Rocca was overhauled recently, and it is WORKING. The new chef reworked the entire menu. The scallops special served last week was DELICIOUS - incredibly flavorful, portioned perfectly, and plated beautifully. The new cocktail menu is also amazing. The Nono Sanchez is my favorite drink in town!! The service is great, the faces are friendly, and the outside patio has a great view of downtown. I'll be back soon! read more

There are some interesting items on the menu. We started out with something that sounded good, but ended up being nothing more than mashed potatoes rolled in corn meal with some inedible sauce. They were frozen in the middle. The roasted peppers were marginal at best. Based on this we didn't stick around for the overpriced poor excuse for dinner. The drinks tasted like turpentine with a hint of ginger. Awesome. I'm not sure what they're trying for, but if it's bad tasting food and drinks they nailed it! read more

Stayed in Lexington for the 3rd time and had never been to Rocca before but there aren't a ton of options downtown so we made our rounds to try a new spot. Sitting down we were handed wet paper menus that looked like someone had spilled water all over them. Our waiter seemed like he has a rough night the prior evening but was nice enough. We ordered apps and when they arrived asked for silverware and bread that our mussel appetizer was supposed to come with anyways. The mussels were cold, the calamari sauce was covered in a layer of grease and the meatballs had to sent back completely. They were cold and sooo dry...the waiter took that off the bill. We ordered our meals and 3 of us got the white flatbread pizzas. 2 of our 3 came out and there was barely any cheese and extremely dry and they were missing the feta completely. It was crazy honestly that the kitchen would even let the meals go out of the kitchen like that. The waiter again (poor guy) offered to take them off the bill and then brought out the 3rd white pizza as we were getting ready to leave! Lol! The gnocchi was decent so 1 Star. We spent $150 which is whatever but it's just annoying that our meals sucked. We tried to be patient and give them the benefit of the doubt but damnit man! Whoever owns this place/runs this place needs to tighten up the ship. We won't be back and we will be in Lexington a lot. Bummer we don't have 1 other place to eat at while we're there. Unless there is a complete shift in kitchen staff and wait staff. Oh and the lobby as you walked in to go to the restaurant smelled like mildew and sewage. The entire place needs a facelift. read more

We ate at Rocca last night after a long day of driving and it hit the spot. We sat on the terrace and enjoyed the evening breeze. The summer salad was great, as was my gnocchi. Our server was super friendly and well-informed about the food and beverage. Service was fast. read more

I forgot I was in Virginia. The carbonara has the freshest pasta, the negroni is perfectly made. Everything that touched our table transported me back to Italy. I can't believe this place exists in quaint, little Lexington, but I got no complaints. 6 stars if I could. read more

Wow, haven't been to Rocca in awhile....not since new chef Michael arrived. Decided to try it again tonight and couldn't be happier that we did. After the meal we felt that we had just been in Italy. I had a prosciutto and arugula flatbread to start. This was so delicious...perfect...thin crust...SO tasty....I thought I was in Naples. For a main course I had the gnocchi with his ragu sauce made with Autumn Olive farm pork. Just the right amount, this was incredibly delicious. There were five or six other entrees I wanted to order. Had a really nice light chocolate mousse for dessert. We are SO lucky to have a chef of Michael's talents here in the area. Will be booking another table very soon! THANK YOU! read more

The oysters on the half shell rocked! There is a limited selection of beers on tap, 4, but they are all from the immediate region. Calamari was great, but the dipping sauce was a bit bland, not a remoulade alike you would expect. Service was great! Will definitely return when I am back in town. read more

We stopped in to warm up with a beverage and a bite after some shopping in downtown Lexington. Arrived just in time for happy hour (4-6pm)! We tried out some wines and one of the craft cocktail specials. I believe it was called the Winter Warmer - which was absolutely the perfect scotch craft cocktail to warm us up after shopping. Didn't have time to order a full meal, but ordered one of the flat bread pizzas to snack on. We will definitely be back. Not only was the food and drink perfect, but loved the atmosphere and friendly conversation with the bar staff. Justin kept the drinks coming and the laughs going. read more

Beautiful restaurant with large number of interesting fine Italian choices. Our service was very good. The Lexington Derby cocktail was the bomb!!! We stayed overnight at the Robert E. Lee Hotel and the restaurant is on the 2nd floor. The restaurant has a great balcony which did not have tables set up because it was January. Definately will come back. read more

Had appetizers and drinks at the bar. Food was very good and bar service was friendly and offered a nice selection of wines and cocktails. Came back later for dinner with a large group just before the kitchen was due to close but we were welcomed and served efficiently. They even brought us dessert after the kitchen closed. Everything was delicious, kitchen and staff a a great job. They definitely treat customers like they value your business. read more

Good Italian food ... the only good restaurant in town that serves this kind of cuisine

Could possibly have been the worse services I've ever received. When we sat for a Sunday lunch, there were only 4 tables seated. The gave us water and took our drink order as soon as we sat. Then we waited over 20 minutes to order, but that was after letting the waitress know we hadn't ordered yet. The table next to use had four people seated and they were there when we arrived. When the waitress finally took our order, the other table pointed out that they hadn't ordered either. While we waited about 40 minutes for a flatbread pizza and pulled pork sandwich my wife asked for a refill of her coffee. The hostess stated that they were making a fresh pot and it would only be about 2 minutes. My wife waited exactly 17 minutes for the coffee. Finally when the food arrive they brought me a meatball sandwich rather than the pulled pork that I ordered. I was set to eat it because I was starving at this point, but the waitress quickly realized the error and returned to the kitchen without putting the sandwich down. Two minutes later I had a pulled pork sandwich. The flatbread pizza and a pulled pork sandwich should not taken 40 minutes particularly since the place was empty. We asked for the check and as we were paying the other tables food finally arrived. NEVER AGAIN WILL I VISIT ROCCA. read more

Popped in here on another trip through "the valley"... my travel companion and I had never been in but now this has been added to our "must visit" list. Loved the fried calamari and chef's carbonara! The pan seared salmon was something the waiter recommened and I'll likely have next time. Service was very friendly and the atmosphere was intimate. Prices were very reasonable, ingredients locally sourced, fresh and one can see the pride that the staff take in their business. Wish I could give six stars! read more

My wife and I asked to be seated at a nearly empty balcony but were refused The hostess explained that all the tables were reserved though only four or so were occupied. We went to the bar and had a drink. After 45 minutes I asked the hostess again if we could sit outside since by now the balcony was almost completely empty. When I suggested that there must have been a number of cancellations and could we please sit outside. The hostess, without explanation, gave me a dirty look and walked away. We left, somewhat bewildered, and went across the street to eat dinner. I don't get it.... read more

Came here with family, two young children. Food was excellent. However the restaurant impressed on us it was kid friendly, but left us with the impression it was not. Served children with adult glassware, and "kids menu" was more of a specialty menu that was to be added to the regular menu. I most definitely would come here as a casual couple for dinner and a few drinks. But I would recommend young kids stay at home. read more

I wish I could give 3.5 stars! The rooftop patio makes this place! The food was good but very under seasoned. I wanted to go in the kitchen and yell salt like Gordon Ramsey! It could be an excellent restaurant. The risotto was not cooked properly (too dry), but the shrimp was excellent. The chicken picatta and calamari were pretty good (minus the salt issue). The waitress underwhelmed us at first with her absolute lack of knowledge with the wine menu. She couldn't even explain the wine on the specials menu. But other than that service was good and they kept our water glasses full. The bread needs an upgrade to a fresh Italian style bread. The dessert menu had eight items and only one made in house- the limoncello cheesecake- it was pretty good. Again this place has great potential and we would try it again. If nothing else, enjoy the patio and cocktails! read more

Such a beautiful building and such a disappointing meal. I ordered the arugula pear salad, which was seriously overdressed and very sweet. There were three slices of pear so thin I could see through them and the proscuitto slices were little balls. My husband's calamari was on the tough side but passable. We both ordered the beef lasagna special, which was, again, okay. Not $20 worth of okay, more like $10 worth of okay. What really ruined the meal was the service. We ordered a nice bottle of pinot noir (celebrating our anniversary!) and it came 40 minutes later, after the salads. The waitress had not been trained to serve wine. I'm not talking fine points here. She put the wine glasses on the table in front of her, not us. She didn't show us the bottle, then poured a full glass for the taste. She filled the glasses (and I mean filled), put the screw top back on the bottle (!) and left our glasses at the edge of the table for us to fetch. They forgot the bread, put used flatware back on the table, and interrupted conversation by asking to fill water glasses. (Just fill them.) They didn't return to clear our plates. We had to flag them down. And they were not very busy. You might want to check out the menu on-line if you decide to go despite the service. The options are limited--only swordfish and steak if you don't want pasta. The lunch menu has better variety. read more

After a day rambling through the back roads of Virginia, we checked in to a local B&B. Our hostess recommended Rocca, so we headed over hoping for a delightful meal. We were seated quickly at a table on the patio. There were other tables in use, but it was not overcrowded. Two servers were in the area, but no one brought us water or silverware or asked us for a drink order. Well, we waited. And we waited. And we waited some more. Finally, my husband called the reservation desk (which we could see from the table where we sat waiting). Several minutes later, one of the servers, who had passed by our table at least 12 times, stopped to get our order. Our food was good, but nothing special. There is plenty of choice in town, so if we ever stop in Lexington again, we will choose somewhere else for dinner. read more

This place used to be good, but something changed in the last few months. I like butter, but their foid is swims in it. Could you at least add some pasta to soak it in? read more

Amazing soup, salad and pasta dish. Everyone loved their meal. Outstanding!! This restaurant should have a line out the door!! Top value. I will be a regular. read more

Food was fine. The operation of the restaurant is below expectations. Not enough service people for the size of the restaurant. Sat down 20 minutes after the reservation time. Served over 90 minutes after ordering. read more

Ambience was great. Service was ok. Food was very bland. Other yelpers mentioned they could make better chicken Marsala. I agree. The chicken piccata was tasteless as well. Italian is one of my favorite types of food; however I will not be returning to this restaurant. Nor would I recommend. I also had strong stomach cramps shortly after returning home. read more

Holy smokes - now THAT is Italian. I discovered shishito peppers tonight. Man o man. What an absolutely delicious appetizer. Had calamari and prosciutto flat bread as well. Needless to say, all was devoured. Had a bottle of Chardonnay recommended by our knowledgeable and sweet waitress, and topped it off with my main course, one of the most delicious gnoccis I've ever eaten. It's clear Rocca's chef shadowed Michelin star chefs in Italy. Made from scratch pastas that were out of this world good. Will definitely be back. Lexington stepped it up with this place. Thanks Rocca! read more

Overall, a disappointing experience from start to finish. Our food was borderline inedible and the service can best be described as inattentive. They also refused to split our checks. read more

My boyfriend and I recently ate at Rocca for our 3 year anniversary and we had a great experience. We were seated outside - which I highly recommend. There was a band out on the porch playing great music and the food was delicious! Our server, Amanda, was AMAZING. She really made our night and gave us wonderful recommendations. We will definitely be back and will ask for Amanda when we go. read more

Don't waste your time. Food is way over priced and is very gummy pasta. Wait staff is not very attentive. My wife and I waited 10 mins to get a refill for water and hardly saw our waitress. Better time would have been spent at home eating leftovers. read more